The mist is back, the mask is tightened, and Asuka is returning to WWE just in time to do what she does best: enter tournaments and ruin everyone’s plans with a smile. After nearly 13 months on the shelf recovering from knee surgery, “The Empress of Tomorrow” is very much the nightmare of next week.
WWE made it official (quietly, because why announce loudly when you can let fans scream on Twitter?): Asuka is in the Queen of the Ring tournament, and she’s been dropped into a fatal four-way like a flaming sword in a daycare.
Her opponents:
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Stephanie Vaquer, a technical hurricane and recent NXT call-up who might be wondering if main roster life always starts with “fight a legend.”
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Raquel Rodriguez, half of the Women’s Tag Champs and full-time owner of the strongest back in WWE.
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Ivy Nile, an intense submission machine who may or may not have been grown in a Performance Center laboratory.
The winner of this chaotic quadrilateral of pain will go on to face the victor of the SmackDown quadrant—aka the “Charlotte Flair Show (featuring Alexa, Chelsea, and Candice).”
Asuka’s last match was in May 2024, when she and Kairi Sane dropped the Women’s Tag Titles to Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill—a loss that seemed to signal the end of her steamroller era. But if there’s one thing WWE loves, it’s a classic comeback arc. That, and booking tournaments with more drama than a telenovela marathon.
With Queen of the Ring finals happening at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia, and a SummerSlam title shot waiting at the end of this road, expect Asuka to bring all the knee braces and chaos the bracket can handle.
She’s back. She’s angry. She probably has mist in three colors. And someone’s face is definitely getting kicked off next week.